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Music venues around the country light up red in support of the RESTART Act

On September 1, music venues across the United States lit up a vibrant red to show their support for the RESTART Act. Congress has not passed the Act, which stands for “Reviving the Economy Sustainably Towards A Recovery in Twenty-twenty,” but the bill has already received a large amount of public support from National Independent Venue Association (NIVA). Submitted by Colorado Democrat Senator Michael Bennet, the bill is designed to keep employers jobs secure during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic by extending the Paycheck Protection Program and offering certain businesses partially forgivable loans.

From 9:00 p.m. to midnight EST, venues covered their exterior in shining red lights to show solidarity with the #RedAlertRESTART campaign organized by #WeMakeEvents. The color-led exhibition of venue support for the bill was initiated to visually demonstrate that the live event industry is on “red alert” as COVID-19 largely continues to inhibit revenue-generating events.

Iconic national venues such as the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco participated alongside more than 1,500 others, culminating in a very successful turnout. The campaigners also voiced their support for extending the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, which now gives benefits to those previously unable to apply for additional unemployment help, such as contractors and self-employed workers.

Featured image: We Make Events